Connector clamps with opening units which are used, in particular, to ensure a secure connection of flexible conductors in the connector clamp have become known in the prior art. To accomplish this, with a flexibly embodied conductor, for example, a tool is used in the connector clamp to allow the conductor to be reliably plugged into the connector clamp, where the conductor is held securely once actuation of the opening unit has ended, producing a secure electrical connection.
Clamps that have a status indicator for indicating the status of a plugged-in conductor have also become known in the art.
One disadvantage of the prior art is that when an opener is provided, there is no status indicator, and when the status indicator is provided, there is no opener.
A connector clamp for circuit boards is known from DE 10 2006 014 646 A1, for example, which has a pusher element made of plastic for opening the clamping position. A separate status indicator is not provided in this prior art document. In certain mounting situations, it is possible to read from the pusher element whether a conductor is held in place at the clamping point. However, if the mounting situation of the connector clamp is of this type, the position of the pusher element provides no indication as to the clamp status. The position of the pusher element is not representative of clamp status, for example, in an overhead mounting, as in that case the pusher element is not moved back to its normal position by the force of gravity. However, even with an arrangement on a vertical circuit board, it is not guaranteed that the pusher element will reliably indicate the clamp status. The disadvantage of this prior art is that no reliable indication of clamp status is provided.
A connector clamp is also known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,682,364 B2, in which an opener for opening the clamp connection is provided. The opener is coupled with the clamp spring, so that even with mounting on a vertical rail or with overhead mounting, the position of the pusher element generally acts as an indicator of clamp status. One disadvantage of this prior art, however, is that the path difference between the opened and closed positions of the opener is small, so that the status can be reliably identified only by a careful inspection from a short distance.